The present invention concerns a setting and winding mechanism for a mechanical clockwork, with or without automatic winding, or for a quartz clockwork, according to the preamble of the independent claim.
Dial clockworks, as used, for example, in wrist watches, ordinarily have a mechanism for setting the hands and for winding of a spring loading mechanism. A user operates this setting and winding mechanism generally via a winding button arranged on the watch housing, which is mounted to rotate on a spindle and can be displaced along it between several positions. The spindle generally runs roughly radially into the interior of the clockwork, where it cooperates with the clockwork part via a more or less complicated mechanism. In the different axial positions, a rotation on the winding button has a different effect on the clockwork parts.
The winding and setting mechanisms known from the prior art have different drawbacks and problems. One the one hand, they consist of very many parts, which has an adverse effect on manufacturing demands and production costs. Moreover, only two axial positions of a winding button wheel can be accomplished with an ordinary setting mechanism. In addition, these mechanisms have unduly large space requirements or have an unfavorable effect, in that setting of the axial position of the winding button leads to an undesired and disadvantageous adjustment of the other clockwork parts. Ordinary mechanisms also have a tendency to jam, so that there is a hazard that parts of the clockwork will no longer function. The radially running spindle and the pendulum present in automatic clockworks require the same space, so that the clockwork must be designed significantly thicker or the pendulum reduced in size, in order to avoid a situation in which the shaft comes in contact with the pendulum. A smaller pendulum has a disadvantageous effect on the accuracy of the clockwork.
A winding and setting mechanism having different drawbacks is known from Swiss Patent CH 441 126. In comparison with other clockworks, a significant size reduction of the pendulum of the automatic winding mechanism is tolerated, which necessarily leads to a deterioration in accuracy or to a reduction in power reserve of the clockwork. In addition, the gears that are engaged for setting the time are engaged in the radial direction via rocker bars and levers on circular paths. This leads to undesired and disadvantageous shifting of the hands, especially during coupling and decoupling of the set wheels. The design height of the clockwork cannot be minimized with the employed rocker bars and levers. Another disadvantage is that the number of moving parts is very large, which necessarily results in a complicated, costly mechanism that is difficult to adjust and prone to disturbance.
Another mechanism for setting the hands and winding a clockwork is known from CH 14 689/74. This mechanism is not suitable to solve the problems that occur especially in flat automatic clockworks. This arrangement has too many parts for the task being solved. A hazard of jamming also exists, because of the rigid connection of the different parts.
It is the task of the present invention to demonstrate a multifunctional, adaptable winding and setting mechanism that does not have a negative effect on the design height of the clockwork. The winding mechanism is supposed to have the smallest possible number of parts, which are connected to each other so that no undesired displacement of clockwork parts occurs. It is also supposed to be expandable in modular fashion.
The task is solved by the invention defined in the patent claims.
The setting mechanism according to the invention is designed so that it is expandable in modular fashion. Because of this, additional functions can be implemented in the same or different, especially modular-designed clockworks, by means of the same components or at least components of similar design. This means that the manufacturing expense in different clockworks is reduced, owing to the preferred xe2x80x9cmodular principlexe2x80x9d. The setting and winding movements exerted by the user on a spindle of a winding button is guided via several connected elements around spaces required by other clockwork parts. For example, the winding and setting mechanism is designed so that the space required by a pendulum of an automatic gauge is not touched. The mechanism disclosed here also makes possible a design in critical areas, for example, in the vicinity of the pendulum of an automatic gauge, that is not thicker than a gear typically used in a clockwork (about 0.2 to 0.3 mm).
Owing to the action principle of the mechanism according to the invention, it is also possible to implement more than two defined axial positions of a winding button wheel. Because of this, additional positions to control additional functions, like date, phase of the moon, alarm, etc., can be implemented, in addition to a position for setting of the hands, and a position for winding of the clockwork. The positions are secured by a locking function. The mechanism is designed so that the winding button spindle can additionally be used as a xe2x80x9cpushbuttonxe2x80x9d, in order to operate, say, a stopwatch.
In order to eliminate the problems inherent to the prior art, especially the undesired and disadvantageous displacement of the clockwork mechanism, the sensitive parts of the mechanism are preferably engaged with each other by translatory movement. Engagement by rotational movements around a spindle is deliberately avoided in critical cases. In less sensitive functions, for example, in the winding mechanism for the spring loading device, in which a displacement during coupling and decoupling entails no disadvantages, the corresponding movements, however, are quite acceptable.
The individual parts of the setting and winding mechanism disclosed here are configured so that they preferably integrate several functions. Because of this, it is possible to minimize the total number of necessary elements. In addition, the mechanism is designed so that it can be easily generalized to additional applications. Additional functions can be integrated and expanded via defined interfaces without having to redesign the entire mechanism. Certain connections that the mechanism according to the invention makes between the clockwork parts are deliberately configured flexibly, so that, during an incorrect adjustment of clockwork parts being engaged, the movement is temporarily stored. The possibility of incorrect functions is minimized on this account. The forces and displacements are deliberately transformed and optimized, with respect to the requirements, by the arrangement and dimensioning of the functionally connected devices.
A preferred variant of the setting mechanism according to the invention has a winding button spindle, movable in the axial direction and rotatable around its axis, and a gear, movable in the direction of its arbor and rotatable around its arbor, arranged at a spacing from the winding button spindle, the rotational movement of the gear being connected to the rotational movement of the winding button spindle via at least one additional gear. The axial displaceability of the gear is operatively connected by means of an elastic connection device to the axial displaceability of the winding spindle, so that the axially displaceable gear can be engaged in the axial direction with additional clockwork parts by axial displacement of the winding spindle. A connection device produces an operative connection between the winding spindle and an additional gear, so that the additional gear, as a result of axial displacement of the winding spindle, is pivoted around an arbor of a gear operatively connected to the additional gear. The setting mechanism, if required, has an element designed, so that, during incorrect setting of the gears being engaged or the clockwork part, it is elastically deformed and thus stores the movement. If necessary, one gear has a greater thickness than an additional gear engaging with it, so that a relative axial displacement between the two gears does not disengage the two gears.